Washington Commanders head coach Dan Quinn spoke to the media after practice on Sept. 6. Here is a full transcript of the press conference.
Opening Statement:
"Well, it's been a really cool week to get rolling and the guys have really put in work to get ready. We stayed really true to the process of how we get ready between a little bit of Bonus Monday, Comp Wednesday, About the Ball Thursday, and then finishing that preparation today. And so love the speed and it was really cool. So, will hit you on some of our game captains. We'll do those each week and three that we'll hit onto this game will be [S] Jeremy Reaves, [WR] Terry McLaurin, and [DE Clelin] Cle Ferrell. So I think, man, I would take those three to battle any day, any place and so I thought that's really cool. The team's definitely connected and it's awesome, man. I'm really looking forward to my first game here too. And so I'm really pumped about that and I never take that for granted, the honor that it is. So we're all pumped, team, fans, everybody. So that's gonna get some action in, it's gonna be a battle."
On DT Jer'Zhan "Johnny" Newton's status:
"We're not gonna rule him out, we're gonna take him into Sunday. And in doing that, we're working through the D-Tackle. But it was good to get him some team reps today and feel into that. So, haven't ruled him out, but we're still gonna work him on Sunday as well."
On T Brandon Coleman's status:
"Did great last week and this week."
On what it means for him to be back in a head coach position:
"Yeah, I would say it's different because some of the experiences you have on the first lap of things, you may not know. I definitely don't take it for granted, John. And the reason being is like, there's only 32 [head coaches], man, and it's really cool. And so, the time in Dallas was really good for me in terms of recapturing the things I wanted to do, did some different things. It was great to see [Dallas Cowboys Head Coach] Mike [McCarthy] and his way, and [Dallas Cowboys Owner and General Manager] Jerry [Jones] and [Dallas Cowboys CEO] Stephen [Jones] and [Dallas Cowboys VP of Player Personnel] Will [McClay] and all those guys. So having those experiences, you just kept things in your pocket to say if that moment happens, if it does. And so when it did, this was one that just was no brainer. And so yeah, man, I'm really pumped and, yeah, not taking it for granted at all."
On QB Marcus Mariota's injury:
"Yes. So, I would say he strained a pec, his chest and so I would say right now he's unlikely."
*On if he would feel comfortable only dressing two QBs on Sunday: *"Yeah, [General Manager] Adam [Peters] and I still have some stuff to work through, but we would be, yep."
On the challenges presented by Tampa Bay Buccaneers WRs Chris Godwin and Mike Evans:
"A lot, man. These guys are really good players. I feel like I've coached against them so many times and from Atlanta and through Dallas and here and man, I just love the way they play, their style, their attitude. Mike's long and can get on top of people and he's done it just about every year he's played and absolutely crushed it. Chris is strong. You know, where he's in the slot, carries it, someone sweeps, and he is one tough dude. So those two do present a problem. They have length and so you'll need length to battle against that on some of the contested catches. And so, yeah, definitely as playmakers go, yeah, they're a big part of what they do and a lot we've talked about this week."
On how he plans to counter motion shifts as a defensive coach:
"Yeah, there's different kinds of motion. There's fast motion and then there's slow motion. So sometimes a slow motion would be an indicator. Alright, 'Is this a man-to-man or is this a zone where sometimes you travel on man and you don't on zones? So that's like a pre-snap one's to indicate where it is. A lot of the ones that are really fast across the ball, one this way, one this way can be difficult. Gap fits, where do you go? And some of the run game to go. So they have both that they work through. Our offense does too. And so it's becoming more common, the speed motions, the different speeds of it. And so how do you combat it? Different ways on defense. You play some calls that look like man, play zone, vice versa. You even have some calls that you can just align and play in a field where you don't have to chase a motion. So there's definitely some gamesmanship back and forth. But it's a good system that they have and test you for your leverage especially."
On the probability of both Ts Brandon Coleman and Cornelius Lucas getting reps on Sunday:
"Yes, very realistic and, yeah, we're planning on that. But Brandon's really done a remarkable job coming back and I would say he was close to being ready for the third preseason game. We just we made the decision, 'Hey, this is not the space and the time to go push it into this spot', knowing we had time to come. But he's absolutely ready to let it rip."
On how he chose this week's game captains:
"You know what, that's a good one, Sam. I thought they really represented the standard that the team created on their own, and so I spoke about each of them. I think Jeremy brings a lot to everybody in our building and just the way his energy, his support of that. I Thought for Clelin, the word came to mind was this guy is a warrior and everybody knows what the tape's gonna look like when he is out there. It's tough, it's all out. You guys have seen that. And then with Terry, I thought this is a hungry guy, a real pro's pro and we can't wait to see him do his thing. So, I think just three of them really represented who we are, how we get down, and so that's why I selected those for the first game."
On if there is anything different he will do between now and Sunday to prepare:
"I think going through all the contingency planning that you do leading up into today. And so I would say you're probably, because of all the planning going in, I would say, I don't wanna say more relaxed than the right word, Sam, but you're just really focused on the parts of the game that you can impact. And so, all week making sure we got the right looks, the right stuff. That's why I also like coaching the scout teams at practice or I can demonstrate the looks to the offense and to the defense. It's a way for me to get connected with the scout team guys to ensure the exact looks that Tampa's gonna get. We want really clear illustrations of those. So I wouldn't say it's different, Sam, but I would say it has allowed me to keep my focus right where it's supposed to be and not thinking about the defensive calls and this and that, just like, this is the stuff, the ways that I can affect the game and give great support to the 48."
*On the league's emphasis on illegal formations and on if he's talked to the team about it: *"We did. On Friday's there's a big game management and clock management day in the meeting, so we showed some of that today. The crew that called the game last night was the crew, if you guys remember practice from last Friday and our last preseason game against New England, that was the crew that was here. Each one may have a little bit stronger in one area or another. But yes, it was something that we showed. We have, and then we also illustrated that again today. After the warning for one, it's for everybody. If they come over and tell the line coach, 'Hey, so and so needs to move up,' that's not just for him. That's for everybody involved and it certainly looked close and as you're going there were some fun ones. We watched that, the last play of the game. There's a lot of really good teaching moments. So yeah, we used today to illustrate some of those."
On if he feels comfortable with the offensive line in terms of pre-snap penalties:
"I do, yeah. I know it's a question, because there was some moving parts to go and I think quite honestly as a coach, yeah you'd love everybody to get all the reps together, but it's just not usually how it is in training camp. There's a nick here, where you get that. The fact that we've been together through the walkthroughs, through the stuff, that's a big deal. Knowing the pre-snap stuff's a big portion of that, pre and post-snap, that's what I would call the discipline penalties. That's the stuff that you can't have. Is there going to be a hold or something that you don't like it, but that's where it comes to. And I think if I'm not mistaken on one of the plays that had the illegal formation of not enough men on the line, I think there was a [pass interference] which got nullified. So, we showed those to the guys today and just consequences of pre-snap and it would've changed the outlook of that drive. All of them matter, the plays, and so we just keep going back to that."
On if T Brandon Coleman will start:
"He will play. For sure."
On if he's always worked with the practice squad this closely:
"Not always. When calling the defense, I didn't because you're kind of going back and forth, but I have done it before. But I was pretty intentional that I knew that what I want to do to make sure that's another way that I can help support, to make sure it's exactly right. You'd be surprised how good the cards are when the head coach is running the cards and, 'Whose card is this?' So, there's two sides of the card there that works."
On how many games around the league he watches:
"Not many. But what we do is, important points that come up in all the games, we kind of collect those. And then put them as part of our presentations during the week. So, for instance, all the games that'll be going on this Sunday, we won't see any of them. So, part of those, that's [Senior Vice President of Football Initiatives] Dave's [Gardi] role that he comes in and, 'Hey, this came up in the game with [Philadelphia] and Green Bay. This one came up here.' And then we kind of consolidate some teaching moments and then that's how we train the guys. But after looking at every game, every week, you kind of build this library of stuff. So, the emphasis today clearly had some things from Baltimore. It had some stuff from last year, had a play from preseason this year about some officiating. So, it's just technical and things that we want to emphasize every week."
On the motivation behind individual games captains:
"Yeah, I think I first learned it, and I would assume it came from [Former NFL Head Coach] Bill Walsh from San Francisco and some game captains of people to come in. So, I thought what a great way to recognize some people for the work that they put in. We've got a whole group of leaders and in the postseason, we will say, these are the captains, maybe that might be what you're referring to when it gets to that space. And then they stay for the postseason. But it does give some opportunity to shine on some people that may not have the traditional role but are ready to hit it. It gives some recognition and gives some leadership into that spot. That's why I thought the guys this week were in such a good space and guys that like I said, I'd take them three anywhere to go fight."
On if having an opportunity to be a captain each week builds leadership characteristics:
"I think we don't try to push if you don't have it, but not everybody leads in the same way. So, there could be some guys that are in the weight room that man, if you want to go train, this is who you go with. In the meeting rooms, somebody's more engaging than others. 'Hey coach, run that back. We got to see this again.' And then there's out on the field or in the locker room, so the different voices of how you do it. I think I probably had told you earlier, I thought early on leadership I thought was about me and how you lead. And then what I since found is that it's really about pulling out the leaders in others. But a moment like that, they would call up to the team, you could tell who's nervous about that. 'Yeah, I want to talk to the team.' So, those are some of the things that we discuss."
On QB Jeff Driskel:
"Yeah, I thought Jeff coming out of the spring had some specific things that he wanted to work on over the summer. And when he came back, I thought really, he was really accurate. Jeff's always been somebody that's a really good athlete, uses his legs to get outside. A lot more like [QB] Marcus [Mariota] in the same space where if either of them were featured, you would almost see some of the same calls for both of them. But yeah, Jeff's been really somebody that absolutely put the work in over the summer. You could tell, and you can see how this could happen, 'I've been in this system, this system it was called this here, and this way we're calling it here.' Jeff's seen that play the same but, 'John called it this way, you called it this way, Sam called it differently.' I think in the spring there was probably a little bit of that, to now I got it and he could really let it rip. So, those are the things that I've been impressed by Jeff. I've known him for a long time, I know the competitor, but it's his legs and athletic ability that kind of sets him apart. When he can get out on the move and get on the corner."
On if Driskel's improvement stems from being comfortable in the system as opposed to mechanics:
"I think that's probably true. Maybe there might be a little bit of both, but I think anytime you have confidence like, 'Alright, I know this one inside out, I know the exact location, where the spacing is supposed to be.' So, it may be different on the disguise or that, but by and large I just felt it really take off. And he had some really big throws and big moments. I thought in the preseason it was cool to see him perform, different guys, different spaces. Yeah, definitely it was a reason why we kept three [quarterbacks] into that space and Jeff earned that."
